The Breeding Cycle
Though most obvious during courting, mating, giving birth and raising offspring, the need to propagate the species underlies almost everything an animal does.
Many wild animals (most antelopes, leopard, wild cats, caracal, baboons, monkeys and hyaenas included) will breed throughout the year if conditions are right. Usually, however, as with buffalo and Golden and Side-striped jackals, there are seasonal peaks. These are normally associated with environmental factors such as a full moon or the onset of the rains. When conditions are right, animal glands respond by releasing hormones that begin the reproduction cycle. Oestrogen brings about sexual receptivity in females, while an increase in testosterone stimulates the aggression most males need to compete fiercely, sometimes fatally, for the right to mate.

Finding a Mate
In certain species and circumstances males get to choose their mates, in others females do so and sometimes either sex may exercise the choice. Female wildebeest, roan, sable and other antelope move through territories demarcated by males, who try to detain them long enough to mate. Female leopard and cheetah, who live separately from their males, go walkabout leaving olfactory clues to their condition for potential spouses to follow. Elephant cows, on the other hand, emit far-reaching subsonic rumbles to draw bulls in must, in order to make their selection. In many cases females will seek out and flirt with males before they are ready to mate, a strategy aimed at teasing out the most dominant male. The highest ranking, most mature males are wanted for their proven sexual competence, good genes, genetic differences and in some cases parental ability. A bull that has already mated with other females has proven sexual competence. One that is older, yet still dominates other males, obviously has strong genes; if he is from another herd or pride, the problems associated with inbreeding will be avoided. The ability to acquire and hold a territory providing good sustenance for partner and offspring is also important, particularly for herbivores. Some oestrus females will conceal their condition from all but the chosen bull, whilst others simply refuse all but the most eligible. Thus in about 90% of African mammal species, dominant males will attract and hold one or more breeding females. Among many small antelope this leads to pair bonding for life. In the case of the oryx, such relationships may last for up to three years, but for impala rams it's a matter of weeks, possibly days, before they're dethroned. In essence a few superior males will win most of the matings and it is their genes that will be passed on.

Courtship
Generally it is the males who do the courting, but there are a few exceptions. For example, once selected, male baboons are given the come-on by a female parading her swollen red rear end and fluttering her white eyelids. Lionesses, too, seductively sway their tails before their chosen beaux and rub up against them to stir them into action. Then there are those couples who both enjoy courting. Jackals and foxes, for instance, spend some time in mutual grooming before mating.
However, in some species (wild dog, porcupines and suricates, for example) only the senior, or alpha, pair will breed. With such acceptance and when mating has been assured through dominance of male rivals or the holding of territory and a harem, the need for courtship is diminished.

Mating
In lion, baboon, hippo, rock hyrax and some other species, high rank is essential to being able to mate. Such rank excludes all lesser males and ensures that the females will receive only the best genes.
In many species actual readiness for mating is established through Flehmen, the male sniffing the urine and genitals of a female using a teeth-exposing, nose-wrinkled grimace. Kudu bulls are among those who will only couple when the female's condition is exactly right, but in many other situations where competition to mate is fierce, less discrimination is exercised. Females generally do not willingly mate unless they are in season. However many males, cats in particular, will attempt to jump the gun with an almost ready female, sensing that this will stimulate the onset of oestrus in her and possibly also in other associating females.
Male mammals seem to understand instinctively that if their partners mate with another male while in season, there will be competition between the two sets of sperm. Further, if these couplings come in quick succession, the male that produced the larger volume of sperm is most likely to become father. To ensure that it is their genes that will be passed on, males either prolong the act long enough to guarantee a successful union or couple repeatedly. Thus rhinos may enjoy half an hour together and Striped polecats have been known to indulge themselves for three times as long, happily undisturbed thanks to their stinking anal glands.
Territorial antelope, however, are always threatened and have to resort to very quick serial matings between bouts of fending off challengers. Impala, for example, are continuously, unrelentingly "rutting" with harem members, each mounting only lasting about ten seconds. Wildebeest also copulate repeatedly at intervals of less than a minute and lions in love spend two or three days coupling two to four times every hour before the males give way to a colleague. Sharing matings reduces rivalry among these lethal creatures and also helps confuse the issue of paternity of cubs. As a result the lions are more tolerant and protective of "their" offspring.
For most mammals sex is purely for propagation of the species. Lionesses, however, have been known to use it to deflect new pride males from killing their cubs when they take over. Porcupines are probably the only mammals to use sex as a social bonding mechanism. Presumably they flatten their quills before getting together. Unlike any other land mammal, hippos take a weight off their minds and behinds by doing it in water.